Need help keeping new fish alive.

[digital-audiophile]

I don't test O2 at home but every once in a while I'll bring a sample into one of the LFS and have them test for me. Unless you water is really stagnant it should not be something you need to worry about testing to often.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by hummer

My Ammonia readings have never changed. I always get 0.05. I'm going to go pick up a new test kit to see if there is a big difference. Should I get a new nitrate/nitrite kit as well? Or do those matter at this point? But I agree that it shouldn't affect only new fish. I don't notice any stress in any of the fish. Only the Rabbitfish occasionally spike its fins up but there's no one around him that is bothering him. I figured it was a reaction from me watching him. I did notice the rabbitfish stopped eating the day before he died. Could his death cause a water imbalance that the sailfin couldn't cope with? The skimmer has been going crazy last night after they died. I'll retest the system after I do a water change. I also do my water changes every 3-4 weeks. Should I do more frequent changes? I change out about 10-15%.

Strange...

The rabbitfish putting his spikes up when you watch him is normal--mine still does that to me sometimes and I have had him for years. It is a defense mechanism but shouldn't mean he is really stressed, especially to the point that he would just die.

Yes the rabbit dieing could cause water issues that effect the Sailfin but it really would have effected all the fish. I guess with the Sailfin being newer though maybe he got more stressed. Still doesn't make any sense to me though.

Your tank is ready for fish (established long enough), you have fish that have been with you for 3 years (you know what your doing) and the new fish last a month and then suddenly die (all from different stores though)...really strange.

Were the rabbit and sailfin from the same store though? Bought at the same time? I can't remember.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

I don't test O2 at home but every once in a while I'll bring a sample into one of the LFS and have them test for me. Unless you water is really stagnant it should not be something you need to worry about testing to often.

To add to this, unless all your fish are dying, I wouldn't worry too much about O2. Its not something that would only effect the new guys.

As digital-audiophile said, as long as you have good surface agitation with the powerheads and your skimmer going, it should be just fine.

Plus you would have noticed your fish breathing very hard and getting quite lethargic.

[hummer]

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

Strange...
Were the rabbit and sailfin from the same store though? Bought at the same time? I can't remember.

Yes the rabbit and sailfin were from the same store and bought at the same time. They weren't from the same tank though. The guy had troubles catching the sailfin from the same tank because it kept hiding under the rocks. The butterflies were bought from another store and they were both in the same tank.